National Weather Service forecasters in Alaska hid a very timely message to President Barack Obama and Congress about the government shutdown in their Friday forecast discussion.
The 5:00 a.m. forecast discussion from the Anchorage, Alaska office of the National Weather Service looked innocuous enough. It contained the usual meteorological information about the coming day’s weather.
However, hidden in the discussion was a special message. Find out more on Examiner.com
Severe weather is a fact of life in Colorado – from blizzards to tornadoes we can and do see it all. Each year the weather is responsible for claiming lives in our state and across the nation and the threat is very real. Storm spotter training allows you to learn how to protect yourself and your family while providing a public service.
Education is key to knowing how to protect you and your family. Whether you want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather, storm spotter training can provide you an incredible opportunity to learn.
The National Weather Service Denver / Boulder office has announced a series of Skywarn storm spotter training dates for Colorado for the 2013 season.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
These are great sessions for anyone wanting to learn more about the severe weather we experience in Colorado, whether you want to be an official spotter or not. All training is free. Topics include:
To learn more about the program, see here: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/awebphp/spotter.php
Below are the dates, times and locations announced thus far with the first occurring on Sunday, February 17 and two scheduled in May in the north Denver metro area. We will try to keep this updated but you can click here for any new dates on the National Weather Service website.
Schedule updated 3/28/13:
| April, 2013 – Upcoming | |||
| Day | City, State | Time | Location |
| 04 | Kiowa, CO (Elbert County) |
6:00pm MDT | Elbert County Fairgrounds 75 Ute Ave – Kiowa, Co 80117 |
| Contact Information: Cory.Stark@elbertcounty-co.gov | |||
| 06 | Fort Collins, CO (Larimer County) |
8:30am MDT | ARES District 10 training Fort Collins Police Services Building, 2221 South Timberline Road, Fort Collins, CO 80525 |
| Contact Information: k0jef@arrl.net | |||
| 08 | Fort Morgan, CO (Morgan County) |
6:30pm MDT | American Legion Building, 16913 Morgan County Road 17.10 (Nelson Road) Fort Morgan Co. |
| Contact Information: senfante@co.morgan.co.us | |||
| 11 | Hugo, CO (Lincoln County) |
2:00pm MDT | Lincoln County Courthouse 103 3rd Street, Hugo, CO 80821 |
| Contact Information: lclanduse@lincolncountyco.us | |||
| 11 | Hugo, CO (Lincoln County) |
6:30pm MDT | Lincoln County Courthouse 103 3rd Street, Hugo, CO 80821 |
| Contact Information: lclanduse@lincolncountyco.us | |||
| 15 | Loveland, CO (Larimer County) |
9:00am MDT | The Rialto Theater 228 E. Fourth Street Loveland, Colorado 80537 |
| Contact Information: Pat.Mialy@cityofloveland.org | |||
| 15 | Fort Collins, CO (Larimer County) |
6:30pm MDT | Fort Collins Police Services Building, Community Service Room 2221 S. Timberline Drive Fort Collins Colorado |
| Contact Information: migavin@poudre-fire.org | |||
| 18 | Highlands Ranch, CO (Douglas County) |
7:00pm MDT | Douglas County ARES training Douglas CO Sheriff’s Office Highlands Ranch Substation 9250 Zotos Drive Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 Phone: 303-784-7880 |
| Contact Information: randy.w0rdr@gmail.com | |||
| 22 | Greeley, CO (Weld County) |
7:00pm MDT | Note: time change! 1150 O Street, Greeley 80632 (970) 356-4000 x 3997 |
| Contact Information: gmarquez@co.weld.co.us | |||
| 27 | Evergreen, CO (Jefferson County) |
9:00am MDT | Evergreen Fire Rescue Admin Building – Auditorium 1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen, CO |
| Contact Information: mswinden@evergreenfirerescue.com | |||
| 29 | Centennial, CO (Arapahoe County) |
6:30pm MDT | Arapahoe Sheriff’s 13101 East Broncoes Parkway Centennial, CO 80112 |
| Contact Information: AWallin@ArapahoeGov.com | |||
| 30 | Denver, CO (Denver County) |
6:30pm MDT | Denver ARES training Denver’s COP Shop, 407 South Broadway, #500, Denver, CO |
| Contact Information: kc0mht@msn.com | |||
| May, 2013 – Upcoming | |||
| Day | City, State | Time | Location |
| 02 | Parker, CO (Douglas County) |
6:30pm MDT | Parker Police 18600 Lincoln Meadows Pkwy Parker, CO 80134? |
| Contact Information: khenry@parkeronline.org | |||
| 04 | Elbert, CO (Elbert County) |
9:00am MDT | Elbert School 24489 Main Street Elbert, CO 80106 |
| Contact Information: Cory.Stark@elbertcounty-co.gov | |||
| 06 | Westminister, CO (Adams County) |
3:30pm MDT | Front Range Community College 3645 West 112th Avenue, Rocky Mountain Room (near entrance 2) Westminister, CO |
| Contact Information: rachel.humphrey@frontrange.edu | |||
| 06 | Westminister, CO (Adams County) |
7:00pm MDT | Front Range Community College 3645 West 112th Avenue, Rocky Mountain Room (near entrance 2) Westminister, CO |
| Contact Information: rachel.humphrey@frontrange.edu | |||
| 18 | Commerce City, CO (Adams County) |
10:00am MDT | Adams County Sheriff’s Office Sub-station, 2nd floor at 4201 east 72nd Ave Commence City. |
| Contact Information: r1@rampartsar.com | |||
The National Weather Service has begun a significant upgrade to Denver’s weather radar. The new dual-polarization (dual-pol) radar brings 14 new data types and will greatly enhance the ability of forecasters to monitor and analyze storms.
During the upgrade while Denver’s radar is inoperative, ThorntonWeather.com’s radar page will be using the adjacent radar in Cheyenne. This will somewhat limit the ability to monitor storms during the two week period while the work is taking place.
The information below is from the National Weather Service and describes the dual-pol upgrade and what it brings to the table in terms of enhancements with monitoring severe weather.
From the National Weather Service:
| During a two-week period, beginning August 30, 2012, the Doppler radar at your National Weather Service Forecast Office will undergo an upgrade to incorporate new technology. For these two weeks, radar data will be unavailable from NWS Denver/Boulder!
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| Current NWS Doppler radars transmit and receive pulses of radio waves in a horizontal orientation. As a result, the radar only measures the horizontal dimensions of targets (e.g. cloud and precipitation droplets). Dual-polarimetric radar transmits and receives pulses in both a horizontal and vertical orientation. Therefore, the radar measures both the horizontal and vertical dimensions of targets. Since the radar receives energy from horizontal and vertical pulses, we can obtain better estimates of the size, shape, and variety of targets. It is expected that this will result in significant improvements in the estimation of precipitation rates, the ability to discriminate between precipitation types (e.g. hail vs. rain), and the identification of non-meteorological returns, such as chaff, ground clutter, and smoke plumes from wildfires that are not uncommonly detected by weather radar systems such as WSR-88D. | |
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The full benefit of dual-pol radar, however, will not be fully realized until NWS forecasters and research meteorologists develop real-time expertise. |
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| A radio wave is a set of oscillating electric and magnetic fields, oriented 90 degrees to each other. Polarization of the wave is the direction, or orientation, of the electric field.
Horizontal Polarization |
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The electric field is oriented horizontally, along the x-axis (blue). The magnetic field is oriented vertically along the y-axis (white). |
| Vertical Polarization | |
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The electric field is oriented vertically, along the y-axis (orange). The magnetic field is oriented horizontally along the x-axis (white). |
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A solicitation on a United States government website seeking hollow point bullets and targets for the National Weather Service caused an online stir today. NOAA was forced to quickly deal with the controversy saying it was a ‘clerical error.’ Read the rest of this story on Examiner.com
The next time severe weather strikes, don’t be surprised to receive a message on your cellular phone from Uncle Sam warning you of the danger. A new service launched by NOAA’s National Weather Service and the nation’s wireless service providers has begun sending out weather warnings to mobile phones. Get more details on this new potentially life-saving system on Examiner.com. Remember too that ThorntonWeather.com offers severe weather alerts via email.
Does a move of 12 miles make a difference in what type of weather is seen in Colorado? Longtime residents know that our weather can vary greatly over short distances and this has many questioning the placement of Denver’s official weather monitoring station.
From 1871 to 1949 Denver’s weather was recorded at the National Weather Service’s office in downtown Denver. In January 1950 a move was made to Stapleton International Airport.
As that facility aged Denver opened Denver International Airport on the plains northeast of Denver in 1995. The weather service followed suit and moved the Mile High City’s official weather station the 12 miles to DIA.
Since that time, many weather watchers have noticed problems – DIA is consistently warmer and drier than the old site at Stapleton. Further, its remote location gives conditions far from where most people in Denver live and thus doesn’t accurately represent what they are experiencing.
Even bigger issues arise when comparing weather data taken today with measurements previously recorded at Stapleton or downtown. The different microclimates of the sites are so different that it becomes much like comparing apples and oranges.
This was recently made evident with the string of 90 degree or warmer days we put together. If you went by the station at DIA, the streak lasted 18 days putting in a three way tie for the second longest streak in Denver history. However, no monitoring station closer to the city was as warm.
Further, while July was certainly a wet month, DIA’s precipitation measurements fell far short of most other locations.
Amid concerns about a warming climate, can we trust the measurements at DIA? How is it possible to compare the weather today with historical weather when there is such a large discrepancy?
We recently tackled this topic on the Denver Weather Examiner and the conclusion is obvious – It simply is impossible to correlate current weather records with Denver’s historical ones. Further, the National Weather Service seems intent on ignoring the issue.
Last month the National Weather Service announced the first batch of storm spotter training sessions for the spring but notably missing was any in the north metro area. That has now been rectified as two sessions at Front Range Community College were added for next week.
Severe weather is a fact of life in Colorado – from blizzards to tornadoes we can and do see it all. Each year the weather is responsible for claiming lives in our state and across the nation and the threat is very real. Storm spotter training allows you to learn how to protect yourself and your family while providing a public service.
Education is key to knowing how to protect you and your family. Whether you want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather, storm spotter training can provide you an incredible opportunity to learn.
The National Weather Service Denver / Boulder office has announced a series of storm spotter training dates for Colorado for the 2011 season.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
These are great sessions for anyone wanting to learn more about the severe weather we experience in Colorado, whether you want to be an official spotter or not. All training is free. Topics include:
To learn more about the program, see here: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/awebphp/spotter.php
Below are the dates, times and locations announced thus far with the first occurring today. At the current time only one is in the north metro area but more may be added. We will try to keep this updated but you can click here for any new dates on the National Weather Service website.
| March, 2011 – Upcoming | |||
| Day | City, State | Time | Location |
| 14 | Castle Rock, CO (Douglas County) |
6:30pm MDT | Black Feather Condominium Club House 403 Black Feather Loop Castle Rock, Colorado, 80104 |
| Contact Information: kc0mht@msn.com | |||
| 15 | Westminster, CO (Adams County) |
3:30pm MDT | Front Range Community College 3645 West 112th Ave. room B1101…note room change. Westminster, CO 80031 |
| Contact Information: Rachel.Humphrey@Colorado.EDU | |||
| 15 | Centennial, CO (Arapahoe County) |
6:30pm MDT | Arapahoe County Sheriff Dept. 13101 East Broncos Parkway Centennial, CO |
| Contact Information: CStelter@co.arapahoe.co.us | |||
| 15 | Westminster, CO (Adms County) |
7:00pm MDT | Front Range Community College 3645 West 112th Ave. room B1101…note room change. Westminster, CO 80031 |
| Contact Information: Rachel.Humphrey@Colorado.EDU | |||
| 21 | Sedgwick, CO (Sedgwick County) |
6:30pm MDT | Sedgwick Fire Department on US 138 on east side of town |
| Contact Information: sedgwickoem@yahoo.com | |||
| 22 | Holyoke, CO (Phillips County) |
1:00pm MDT | Phillips County Fairgrounds Event Center Holyoke, CO |
| Contact Information: philcoadmin@pctelcom.coop | |||
| 22 | Haxtun, CO (Phillips County) |
6:30pm MDT | Haxtun Volunteer Fire Dept. |
| Contact Information: Robert.glancy@noaa.gov | |||
| 29 | Akron, CO (Washington County) |
6:30pm MDT | Washington County Events Center, Washington County Fairgrounds |
| Contact Information: mmccaleb@co.washington.co.us | |||
| 31 | Greeley, CO (Weld County) |
6:30pm MDT | Weld County Training center, 1104 H Street Greeley, co |
| Contact Information: Rrudisill@co.weld.co.us | |||
| April, 2011 – Upcoming | |||
| Day | City, State | Time | Location |
| 04 | Sterling, CO (Logan County) |
6:30pm MDT | Sterling Public Library 425 North 5th Street Sterling, CO |
| Contact Information: OWENS@sterlingcolo.com | |||
| 05 | Fort Morgan, CO (Morgan County) |
6:30pm MDT | note location change to: American Legion Hall 121 Nelson Road Fort Morgan, CO |
| Contact Information: senfante@co.morgan.co.us | |||
| 08 | Denver, CO (Denver County) |
6:30pm MDT | Metropolitan state college of denver Tivoli Union, Room 440 |
| Contact Information: Robert.Glancy@noaa.gov | |||
| 09 | Kiowa, CO (Elbert County) |
9:00am MDT | Elbert County Public Health 75 Ute Avenue, Kiowa, CO |
| Contact Information: cory.stark@elbertcounty-co.gov | |||
| 12 | Parker, CO (Douglas County) |
7:00pm MDT | South Metro Fire Parkglenn HQ 10235 Parkglenn Way Room A & B Parker, CO |
| Contact Information: p.lundquist@comcast.net | |||
| 16 | Commerce City, CO (Adams County) |
10:00am MDT | Adams County OEM 4201 East 72nd Ave (2nd floor) Commerce City, CO 80022 |
| Contact Information: r1@rampartsar.com | |||
| 20 | Brush, CO (Morgan County) |
6:30pm MDT | Brush Fire Department 1220 West Edison Brush, CO |
| Contact Information: zach.evelyn@brushfd.com | |||
| 26 | Elizabeth, CO (Elbert County) |
6:30pm MDT | Elizabeth Library 651 West Beverly Elizabeth, CO 80117 |
| Contact Information: cory.stark@elbertcounty-co.gov | |||
| 30 | Fort Collins, CO (Larimer County) |
9:00am MDT | Fort Collins Police Community Room at 2221 South Timberline Road, Fort Collins |
| Contact Information: n7dq@comcast.net | |||
The National Weather Service is the nation’s frontline of defense against many forms of threats from Mother Nature. As the sole agency responsible for issuing weather related warnings and alerts, a proposed massive cut in the budget for the service could have dire consequences.
Colorado’s weather is as varied as any state in the union. Our true four seasons allow us to witness the entire gamut of weather from scorching hot summers to winters buried in feet of snow to springtime severe weather with damaging and deadly tornadoes. Knowing what is going on with the weather is critical in allowing us to protect ours and families’ lives.
Budget cuts being proposed in Washington DC could severely decrease the accuracy and frequency of weather related information we receive. A massive cut of $126 million to the National Weather Service’s budget is being proposed – a full 30% cut in funding for a service that provides information that saves lives every day.
When you view a detailed forecast on ThorntonWeather.com that is specifically for Thornton, you are viewing data provided by the National Weather Service. Our radar imagery, weather radio, the watches and warnings that we post – all originate from the National Weather Service.
Continue reading Proposed National Weather Service budget cuts would impact Thornton residents
Severe weather is a fact of life in Colorado – from blizzards to tornadoes we can and do see it all. Each year the weather is responsible for claiming lives in our state and across the nation and the threat is very real. Storm spotter training allows you to learn how to protect yourself and your family while providing a public service.
Education is key to knowing how to protect you and your family. Whether you want to be an official storm spotter or maybe just want to learn more about severe weather, storm spotter training can provide you an incredible opportunity to learn.
The National Weather Service Denver / Boulder office has announced a series of storm spotter training dates for Colorado for the 2011 season.
The storm spotter program is a nationwide program with more than 280,000 trained spotters. These volunteers report weather hazards to their local National Weather Service office providing vital information when severe strikes. Data from spotters include severe wind, rain, snow measurements, thunderstorms and hail and of course tornadoes.
Storm spotters are part of the ranks of citizens who form the Nation’s first line of defense against severe weather. There can be no finer reward than to know that their efforts have given communities the precious gift of time–seconds and minutes that can help save lives.
By completing one of these training classes you can become an official storm spotter. When severe weather strikes, you can report it by calling a special toll free number or submit your report via the National Weather Service’s website.
Twenty nine years ago, the city of Thornton was struck by what was the most destructive tornado to hit the Denver metro area in history – a record which stands to this day. Now, the City of Thornton has started to investigate options to alert residents when severe weather is set to strike.
Visitors to ThorntonWeather.com have often asked us if the city was taking any steps to protect its citizens and warn them about severe weather. The city – and Adams County – are lacking any type of alert system. Following last year’s ‘Summer of Storms,’ we were told the city would look into it.
Current options for citizens range from the Emergency Alert System used by television and radio broadcasters, free and pay Internet services as well as NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (weather radio). As we have discussed previously, these systems have their limitations.
At this week’s city council update session, the Thornton City Council heard a presentation from city staff on the alternatives available. Utilizing Reverse 911 and contracting with a third party provider were two of the items discussed.
In trying to identify ways to keep citizens aware of deteriorating weather conditions, city staff told council, “Technology is changing so quickly that supporting a single system would not be efficient.”
Rather than implement their own system, staff recommended the city rely upon the federal government and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) forthcoming Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).
Slated for widespread deployment in 2010, IPAWS will take the old Emergency Alert System and move it into the modern age by leveraging new communication technologies such as email and cellular phones.
Mayor Erik Hansen told ThorntonWeather.com, “The City of Thornton recognizes the dangers of severe weather and we are actively working to identify solutions to protect its citizens.”
While the city waits for IPAWS, staff said they recommend the “development of a Weather Awareness Public Education Program that would be implemented in the spring of each year.” They further would work to encourage residents to purchase weather radios.
ThorntonWeather.com’s Take
We are pleased that the city is finally taking some steps in the right direction – albeit 29 years late.
Their recommendation that residents purchase NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is certainly a sound one. As we wrote recently, these should be every citizen’s first line of defense against severe weather.
The implementation of a severe weather education program is also a step in the right direction, assuming it takes the form of something more substantial than the simple brochure the city developed this year.
Each spring the National Weather Service (NWS) offers storm spotter training seminars. These would likely be overkill for average citizens however we think it would be ideal for the City of Thornton to partner with the Denver / Boulder NWS office to offer education sessions for citizens. These could be taped and then shown on Channel 8 and on the city’s website.
We do have our reservations about waiting for and relying on the forthcoming IPAWS system when commercial systems are available, proven and ready now for the city to implement. Big government projects rarely are completed on time and often do not perform as expected. Hopes are high for IPAWS but we are cautious on giving it any sort of endorsement.
Granted, severe weather on par with the 1981 tornado is rare however last year’s severe weather and the Windsor tornado of two years ago show the danger is present. If a warning system saves one life, the cost incurred is well worth it and we hope the city continues to stay on top of this issue – we will certainly be watching.
Related:
June 8, 2010 – City of Thornton City Council Update on Emergency Weather Warning Options
